Desiderius Erasmus

Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known.

A good portion of speaking will consist in knowing how to lie.

Now I believe I can hear the philosophers protesting that it can only be misery to live in folly, illusion, deception and ignorance, but it isn't -it's human.

It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide.

The entire world is my temple, and a very fine one too, if I'm not mistaken, and I'll never lack priests to serve it as long as there are men.

The more ignorant, reckless and thoughtless a doctor is, the higher his reputation soars even amongst powerful princes.

If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don't do it, and it won't happen.

Luther was guilty of two great crimes - he struck the Pope in his crown, and the monks in their belly.

Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.

It is an unscrupulous intellect that does not pay to antiquity its due reverence.

By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.

Great abundance of riches cannot be gathered and kept by any man without sin.

Great eagerness in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or honor, cannot exist without sin.

The nearer people approach old age the closer they return to a semblance of childhood, until the time comes for them to depart this life, again like children, neither tired of living nor aware of death.

A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.

What difference is there, do you think, between those in Plato's cave who can only marvel at the shadows and images of various objects, provided they are content and don't know what they miss, and the philosopher who has emerged from the cave and sees the real things?

Nature, more of a stepmother than a mother in several ways, has sown a seed of evil in the hearts of mortals, especially in the more thoughtful men, which makes them dissatisfied with their own lot and envious of another's.

Don't give your advice before you are called upon.

By burning Luther's books you may rid your bookshelves of him, but you will not rid men's minds of him.

Fools are without number.